Compressors are used in wide variety of applications. For example, internal combustion engines may be provided with a forced air system such as a turbocharger to increase an engine efficiency and power by forcing extra air into the combustion chambers of the cylinders. The turbocharger includes a compressor rotationally coupled to a turbine.
Compressor operations at low mass flow rates are limited in pressure ratio by the surge limit, namely a threshold above which severe fluid dynamic instabilities may occur. Moreover, compressor operations close to surge may be associated with a noise which is known in the art as “whoosh” noise.
There is a need in art to enlarge the operative portion of the compressor map to achieve significant improvements on the compressor surge margin towards smaller flow rates. There is also a need in the art to reduce compressor noise, achieving significant dampening around a frequency range commonly used and improving customer satisfaction.